The temptation to give in to the lure of chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday is all too great, but establishing good habits now will help your children in later life
An overweight child never loses the extra fat cells they have created
The impending arrival of the Easter Bunny has mouths drooling. Lent has provided many an opportunity to abstain from their sweetest pleasure, chocolate. This can lead to food cravings and as they intensify, it will result in excessive over-eating come Easter Sunday, which can lead to weight gain.
Such anticipation calls the film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory to mind. Charlie worked hard, like his parents, in an effort to purchase a bar of Wonka’s famous chocolate for his birthday. It was a rare treat that was shared between the family, who savoured the squares they were given. In contrast to level-headed Charlie, the other children on the adventure were spoilt brats, pandered to by their parents.
Although this movie was released in the 1970s it’s a story that resonates in society today. Each holiday season revolves around chocolate and confectionery. At Christmas time, children are overwhelmed with selection boxes; Easter has Easter eggs; Halloween is all treats and no tricks; and with little Johnny’s friends having birthday parties every other weekend, Johnny regularly returns home with a goody bag and a sore stomach.
Sugar depresses the immune system, and this can lead to illness, but poor Johnny does not know any better. He is a product of today’s society and has been moulded that way by his parents.
The habits that become ingrained during childhood are the catalysts for obesity in later years. An overweight child never loses the extra fat cells they have created; they can only hope to shrink them. It is not only the foods the children are consuming but also the inactivity, as Xboxes and Nintendos provide substitute babysitters.
The lack of energy consumed will result in Johnny not developing his personal skills by meeting other children, while his physical development and co-ordination will also be stymied.
Research on motor learning has confirmed that 90pc of children’s co-ordination is developed by the age of 12. This means that if your child hasn’t been active by this age he is never going to excel on the sporting field.
Parents point the finger at the fast-food industry and the government. But children do not have the finance to purchase all the chocolate and fast food they receive. They learn how to manipulate their parents and the parents, in turn, through lack of energy and guilt from the long shifts they work, easily bow to pressure.
On a recent trip to Croke Park to watch Ireland versus Bulgaria I witnessed many armchair critics hurl obscenities and abuse at Ireland’s players in the company of their children. Whilst munching on their crisps and consuming bottles of fizzy drinks, the habits their children learn will be to mimic their fathers, instead of wishing to emulate the efforts of the players.
You have the responsibility as a parent to teach your child habits that will enable them to be healthy. By helping children learn to love exercise and choose healthy foods, parents provide the foundation for life-long fitness. TV viewing and computer playing should be limited. Instead, you should teach your children the outdoor games you learned as a child.
By all means, let your child celebrate Easter but know the egg that’s one too many.
Your chocolate choices should be organic, at least 70pc cocoa, and be free of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, as these will detract from cocoa’s antioxidant health benefits.
Charlie Bucket emerged victorious thanks to his upbringing while the other pampered parents and children paid a price. Make sure your children get the golden ticket this Easter and they won’t be travelling down the bad egg chute to obesity and illness.
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